By Tzvi Machlin In the immediate aftermath of Kobe Bryant’s tragic passing, nearly all merchandise associated with him skyrocketed in price. Now, two years later, a piece of memorabilia from early in his career sold for a historic sum. According to TMZ, a game-worn Kobe No. 8 jersey from his rookie season sold at auction via SCP Auctions. The final total was an incredible $2,735,546 after 26 bids. Per the report, the jersey was one Kobe wore during the 1997 playoffs against the Utah Jazz. It is the earliest known jersey that Kobe wore during any playoff series. He wore this particular one at l…